Major Accomplishments:
New job
Walked 39.3 miles to kick breast cancer in the bootay
Several airplane trips without actually hyperventilating

Favorite Photograph of the Year:Is actually a series of photographs and not THE favorite, but A favorite.

Favorite Thing that Became an Unfavorite Thing:Adele, there is not a single doubt in my mind of how talented you are – because dang, girl you can sing. But the radio killed a very good thing. There is only so many times you can hear “Rolling in the Deep” before you start cringing at the opening notes of the song and flipping the volume off or changing the station altogether when the song comes on. It’s not just you, sweetpea, radio has a tendency to destroy my love for most music that happens to get radio airtime. It ain’t good.

And just in general…With every moment of difficulty, every second I spent in 2011 trying to just catch my breath, so much good was in this year, that I have to remind myself, lest I focus only on the negative and lose all of what brought me joy. This is the year that my sister’s struggle with infertility came to an end – she and my brother in law conceived my niece through IVF – cannot wait to meet her in the new year. This is the year I traveled more than I had in a long time. I love travel. I love to be with friends. I love exploring new places. This was good. This was the year that my travel brought me together with far flung friends. One of the greatest things about blogging is the network of friends I have made – but the downside is that so many of them are not in my neck of the woods — and in 2011, I enjoyed getting to connect with them – in Nashville, Dallas, Chicago, wherever. It was nice. (Gah. “Nice”. What a lame word.)

I’m not good at recapsBut that’s okay.

If I never hear Katy Perry’s “Firework” again, it will be too soon. 2011 was the year that brought on that ridiculousness.

I am the queen of cheesecake.

I don’t seem to be getting tired of Ryan Gosling memes yet.

I still haven’t taken the Christmas tree down.

I don’t know what 2012 has in store for me but I have to believe it’s goodAnd if it’s not, I’ll get through the year like I did this year – finding enough joy in the little moments to sustain me through the tough times.

Oh, I don’t know – Firework had it’s upside too – they sang it at the church a lot of my colleagues go to (you know – like religious folk do – trying to claim things as their own) – and they all went out and bought the album… and discovered it was full of songs about getting drunk, having sex, girls kissing girls, and so on… (haven’t laughed so much in ages, and ages at their disgusted reactions).